When we think about Alaska, some things that immediately come to mind are salmon, the Northern Lights and frigid temperatures. Good beer is about to take its place on that list. This month, brews from Alaskan Brewing are coming to taps and store shelves in Texas. Initially, we are getting three beers, with others following later in the year.

Alaskan's Amber is a northern German Alt-style beer. The Alt style is a cool-fermented ale with muted hop flavor and aroma, allowing the beer to have a firm maltiness while still being fairly light. It is a relatively uncommon style in the United States, with the only other well-known example available locally being Grolsch Amber.

The second beer is the White, which is a Belgian Witbier. This variety is a light and effervescent wheat beer whose recipe also includes coriander and orange peel. It promises to be an excellent thirst-quenching pint for a hot summer day. For a comparison, think Hoegaarden or Freetail's Rye Wit.

For those who like hops, Alaskan is also sending its IPA our way. While the piney, grapefruitlike aroma and flavor of Cascade hops, popularized by Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, are quite intense, they're not so strong that the beer turns one-dimensional. A nice dry maltiness creates a very balanced impression.

Two beers to look forward to later in the year are Alaskan's Winter Beer and the award-winning Smoked Porter. The Winter is scheduled to make its appearance sometime in October, about the time South Texans will just start thinking that summer is finally over. It's a rich and malty Old Ale with spruce tips added for a unique character.

The Smoked Porter showcases another local ingredient, alderwood smoked malt. The same wood used to smoke salmon is used here to give this rich, dark beer an added flavor to go with the coffee and chocolate flavors that are typical for robust porters. Ranger Creek's San Antonio-made Mesquite Smoked Porter is a similar concept but ends up quite different because of the type of wood used to smoke the malt.

All in all, it adds up to us having a worthy new player in the Texas beer scene. More information about their beers and brewery is available at alaskanbeer.com.

Markus Haas is the beer writer for the Express-News. Email him at mhaas@express-news.net.